


Flashing Lights

by Vindoodles



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blood and Violence, M/M, Mental Anguish, Mental Health Issues, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Slow Romance, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:08:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25625707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vindoodles/pseuds/Vindoodles
Summary: A captured OZ officer turns out to be more than she appears. One Gundam Pilot struggles with inner demons while another fights to find his place in the world. Romances, friendships, and alliances come and go like flashing lights in the night. Gundam Wing AU (set somewhere in the middle of the series). 1x2, 3x4
Relationships: Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton/Quatre Raberba Winner
Kudos: 7





	1. The Club

The music was thumping in the club that night with a pulse that rocked the very core of the hundreds of bodies packed onto a tiny, dark dance floor. In the L2 colony cluster, this was the place to be on a weekend. Naturally, she had to check it out. After all, what was a vacation without at least one night of reckless abandon?

Truthfully, she preferred to _watch_ the reckless abandon rather than participate in it herself, and so Rose Petrov contented herself with sitting at the bar sipping drinks and making conversation with those who approached. 

It was strange living as a civilian. Just three days ago she’d been advising on the military board with top OZ officers, and now she was on leave, trying to fit into a scene she was foreign to. This was her first ‘official’ visit to L2- chosen only because it was closest to her current duty station- and so far it hadn’t been a disappointment. She ran a hand through her brunette curls and spun around on her bar stool until her back was against the bar, and there she sat, watching. Waiting. Enjoying.

\--

It was late in the evening when Duo arrived on the scene, casually strolling down the sidewalks of the busy city district. He quietly admired how much even just that single street had changed in the few years since he’d been there last while Quatre went over the details of his current mission through a small device wired into his right ear.

There was an OZ officer at this bar tonight, and his goal was to meet her, lead her away from the crowd, and then get her into a nearby unmarked vehicle by any means necessary for a later interrogation. Seemed like a simple enough task. Given his familiarity with the area, it was only natural that he’d be the one chosen for the job. That and perhaps because he was one of the few who could carry on a conversation, or at least so he thought so as he came to stand in the line to the club. 

“If you need _anything_ , Duo, all you have to do is ask,” Came Quatre’s small, worried voice through the device. “This really is a huge favor you’re doing for me--”

“Relax, Quatre. I’m happy to help- a free ride into the hottest club in town? Who could ask for a cooler job? If you could see this place in person…” He came up to the bouncer, hands in his pockets and looking as innocent as can be- and entirely too young. Still, the giant of a man nodded once, and he waltzed past with a cheeky grin in the direction of a confused and enraged patron that had just been denied a moment before.

Heavy songs beat out rhythmic melodies while the young man wandered among the dancers. His cobalt eyes scanned over the crowd, long braided hair floating behind him as he moved through the throng of bodies. His favorite song was on, and so he danced along. Just because he was on a mission didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy himself for a while. Quatre had a full view of every camera in the club, so he’d be led in the right direction when the time came, and that time came after only a few short minutes.

"To your left, at the bar." Duo turned his head, spotting the woman immediately and what he saw was not entirely what he’d expected. Curly shoulder-length brunette hair. A skinny red dress to compliment a full figure. She was as far from the picture of an OZ officer as one could get...but he wasn’t exactly what one pictured when they thought of Gundam Pilots, either. 

Duo grinned to himself and sauntered over to the bar after the next song ended and sat down at the bar stool across from the woman and ordered a drink for them both. Her confused expression was free entertainment for him, and he offered a silent shrug as the drinks appeared. 

“Aren’t you a little too young to drink?” She asked, picking up the glass and examining it before taking a sip. At least the kid had good taste- though she suspected that taste may have been totally accidental. It was her turn for amusement when he took a sip and immediately broke into a coughing fit. She hadn’t meant to laugh out loud, but it was difficult not to!

“Ugh that was nasty…”

“You might not think that in a few years,” She snickered.

Awkward as it was that she’d found the company of someone quite a bit younger than her, he was easy to talk to and her curiosity about how he’d even _gotten_ into the club, let alone ordered the drink without anybody questioning it, kept her glued to her seat. It was clear that this was no ordinary kid- a thing in and of itself that only increased her suspicion as their conversation about nothing in particular continued.

Her suspicions were confirmed halfway through her second drink when her company suddenly became a little bolder, and made his intentions much, much clearer.

“You know, maybe I’m jumping the gun here a little, but I have to wonder how an OZ officer as important as you ends up in a place like this all alone,” He said, and while he sounded innocent as all could be--contemplative, even-- she knew immediately the sort of danger she was in.

“Maybe this is an inopportune time to wonder what I’ve done to have a gundam pilot sent after me,” She quipped back, daring not to show her discomfort in the face of the boy that she was certain would be the death of her tonight.

“Must be your lucky day, then- I’m only here to talk.” It was if he’d read her mind, but it did nothing to ease her misgivings about the situation. Nobody just wanted to _talk_ , and this boy was surely no exception. What was he playing at? “Oh, and before you make any uncouth decisions, I just thought I should let you know that this whole building is rigged with explosives. Would be a _terrible_ shame to take down the whole building over one woman” 

Her painted eyes narrowed, and she finished off her second drink. She took this time to search his expression, but he gave nothing away. She found herself impressed by the kid’s well-practiced poker face, and wondered just how much of his threat was real. The gundam terrorists were not above taking out buildings to gain an advantage, but while one of their own was still inside of it? A bold plan, if not suicidal.

“And if your bluffs are all just that?” She inquired.

“Willing to bet your life on it? And mine?” The confidence in his cobalt eyes was unnerving. She didn’t find it likely that he was telling the truth. Still, something kept her still and silent at that bar. An insatiable curiosity about this crazy kid that couldn’t be quelled, perhaps. Rose had questions of her own she was burning to ask, but knew he wouldn’t answer them- not out here in the open, anyway. She finished off her drink and led her new companion away into the back rooms.

Once they’d escaped the darkness of the club and moved into a room with better lighting, it became increasingly clear just how young her new companion really was. Easily still a teenager, high school aged, perhaps. Slender, but solidly built- confirmation enough that he was who she suspected despite his lack of acknowledgement.

“You must be the infamous Duo,” She said as she sat down upon the bed. The boy remained standing, arms crossed and for a moment looking almost proud that he’d been recognized.

"What gave me away?" She closed her eyes for a moment, smiling to herself.

"You're practically a celebrity around these parts- Your face has been on every news station in the cluster since I got here. Though I must admit," She responded with an almost playful expression. "I never expected to get this close to a Gundam Pilot without a gun to my head. You've got some spunk coming here unarmed." Duo tilted back away from the woman, perking an eyebrow.

"Who says I’m unarmed?" What was in reality only a few seconds of silence seemed to drag on forever in that moment. Rose smiled at him sadly, eventually looking away towards the large window at the left of the large room they stood in. 

"Since we’re here to talk, I’d like to know: What are _you_ fighting for?" Duo was taken back by the question. He wasn’t accustomed to answering _anyone_ , let alone an enemy. Eventually he chose to shrug and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I'm fighting for my home, so that no more kids have to live on the streets like I did. The only thing that’s going to save L2 from itself is sovereignty- not being turned into another mobile suit mill by OZ.”

"Eloquent as that was, your life is a contradiction, Duo. You want no more kids on the streets, and yet you and your comrades are making orphans every day. Have you considered a more pragmatic approach? You’ve certainly got the charm for it.” She reveled in the turn of events as the room grew quiet between them. Was that a blush on his cheeks? It was gone just as quickly as it had come.

"Talking gets you nowhere unless you’re being beaten for answers. Which you might be, sooner rather than later.” He smiled. Her eyebrows furrowed. The conversation was over. His next words were void of all the wit and charm she’d come to enjoy from the boy and replaced with a seriousness that didn’t suit him at all. “Turn around and face the wall, Officer. Say anything and I shoot.” 

The woman’s once-soft eyes became hardened as she complied with the orders, grunting as she was pushed over against the bed and her hands were cuffed behind her back. Brazenly, he put his hands upon her and pulled out the gun she had been hiding. It was tossed across the room casually.

“You really should consider buying a woman dinner first before you--” Her words were cut short by cold steel against the back of her head and the crack of a pistol safety release. _So much for not getting a gun to the head,_ she thought with a wry smile as she was blindfolded and gagged unceremoniously. _You were hoping for too much._

"Get us out of here, Quatre."

“There’s an emergency exit in the back of the club.”

Duo slipped from the room, hustling the taller woman along with him with the pistol pushed firmly into her back to keep her walking. With Quatre’s guidance in his ear, he turned left, then right, and then another right. This place was bigger than he expected, and better lit than he’d hoped for. So far as he was concerned it was only dumb luck that he hadn’t run into a single other patron yet. One more left and the exit was five feet away.

Rose, meanwhile, had been calm and compliant, insofar as she was able to without seeing where she was going and while being shoved at an awkward angle. The grip the Gundam pilot had on her upper left arm stung- his nails were digging into her skin. And then suddenly it was gone, and only the push of the gun remained. She took a breath and made her move.

As they neared the entrance, Duo reached into his pocket for his ball cap- it was a mistake that was quickly capitalized on. Before the braided boy could blink, her elbow was deep in his abdomen. Before he could end the fight, her cuffs swiped at his gun hand- a shot rang out into the ceiling tiles.

“SHIT!” Duo exclaimed, stepping back just in time for a chorus of screams and shouts. Rose was facing him now, attempting to gain her bearings while footsteps echoed down the halls.

“What happened? Duo? Duo!” He didn’t have time to answer. He quickly shoved the gun back into its holster and grabbed at the standing officer, wrestling for control as she writhed and kicked and hollered from behind her gag. She was one hell of a fighter, but he was stronger. Inch by inch she was shoved, pushed and dragged towards the exit. So close…

“Stop right there! Stop or I’ll shoot!” Came a voice from the other end of the hall, only inches from the exit. Duo swore under his breath, still wrestling with the struggling officer. He gritted his teeth, pulled the gun back out, and placed it against her head, turning toward the threat.

“You don’t want to do this, pal. Just let me go, and we won’t have any trouble.” There was more than one. _Shit._ Several men had come around the corner. One with a gun, one with a walky talky. No doubt he was telling the other guards where to cut their perp off. _Shit shit shit._

“A little help, Quatre…” Duo muttered under his breath with a voice only moments away from losing all sense of composure. It felt like ages that he stood there, two armed men in an endless standoff that neither was willing to give any ground on. Just as Duo was certain he’d never get out of this alive, the building was plunged into darkness, and his attackers were no longer visible. They shouted among one another, and amid the confusion Duo slammed through the club's alley exit with his quarry in tow, stopping only for a moment to take a breath of the cool artificial air. “You’re lucky someone thinks you’re special enough to keep alive,” He hissed into the woman’s ear. Rose could hear the vitriol in his voice, and knew that he meant every word.

A van skidded around the corner and came to a stop. Heero leapt from the driver’s side and quickly took Rose from Duo’s grip. She was shoved into what she assumed was the back seat of the vehicle. Duo’s voice floated past her. “I hope they’re nice to you, lady. You’re the most interesting OZ soldier I’ve talked to in a long time!” 

The door slammed behind her, and soon she was being driven to an unknown location by an unknown person. Another Gundam pilot, perhaps? An ally? There was nothing for Rose to do but allow her mind to race with the possibilities, and to race with the thought of what her fate might soon be.

***


	2. Little Rat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duo returns to base and has an awkward interaction with Heero. Howard arrives on L2.

The trip back to the Gundam Pilots' makeshift base had been quick for Duo. 

Quatre waved pleasantly from behind the computer screens as Duo emerged from the foyer of their three bedroom apartment covered floor to ceiling in mechanical equipment, computers, servers, and a plethora of other devices. Trowa Barton had appeared from a room further down the hall, having only just arrived moments ago. He and Duo passed glances, but no words.

"How did the deal go, Trowa?" Quatre inquired, sliding off of his chair and crawling underneath the desk to adjust some wires. The newly arrived teen made some sort of sound under his breath, tossing a clipboard down on a nearby unoccupied coffee table and taking a seat at the couch beside it. 

"Got the parts for Deathscythe secured, as well as some extra incendiary rounds for Heavyarms. Howard and his crew will be here in a few hours to replace that malfunctioning joint you were talking about, Duo. I’ve relayed the location of the hangar to him." 

“Thanks,” was all Duo could think to reply.

It wasn't such a bad thing that the pilots had little to say to one another; it seemed like only yesterday that they'd even learned of each others' existence. The fact that they were all working for a common goal was enough to keep the peace, but some part of Duo still had difficulty accepting assistance from others despite his willingness to give it.

"That was too close." It was the first thing out of Heero's mouth as he'd entered the confines. Duo immediately looked up, staring through lifeless eyes that did the same to him.

"Excuse _me_ , you're not exactly the one sticking your neck out here." He quickly reminded the dark-haired boy who had indeed spent the majority of the mission in the relative safety of the apartment. Quatre slid out from under the desk with an apologetic look, but Duo waved a dismissive hand at the both of them. He'd learned the hard way which hills were worth dying on; Heero Yuy wasn't one of them. He stalked towards his temporary room, uttering a respectful goodnight to Quatre and Trowa. "Wake me up when the war's over."

"Maybe a few hours." Quatre smiled. "You'll want to see Howard when he comes in, won't you?" Duo turned around thoughtfully. The old mechanic had been one of the few friends that the braided boy had held onto since the start of Operation Meteor. He appreciated that Howard had such intimate knowledge of his machines, could hold a halfway decent conversation, and made an excellent cup of Joe.

"Guess I owe the old man a visit. He _is_ coming on my behalf." Duo smiled to himself, turning back around. On his way down the hall he made an effort to shoulder past Heero as roughly as he could, though his good mood had ruined the original intent. For a moment it looked as though Heero might turn around and return the favor, but instead remained on the spot. Perhaps he deserved it. 

"He's gonna get himself hurt someday." The Arab sighed, picking himself up and sitting back down in the chair beside him. Heero seated himself on the sofa and busied himself with a laptop lying nearby. Trowa made some kind of sound to acknowledge the blonde, picking up a local newspaper. Their faces were on the front page.

“I really hope this lady was worth it,” Quatre mumbled after side-eyeing the paper in Trowa’s hands. Both boys looked up only briefly as Rashid and two other men entered the apartment. “The authorities were already crawling all over the place searching for us, and now we’ve abducted one of their officers? The press is going to have a field day.”

“Not just _any_ officer, Master Quatre. Advisor to a general.”

“Has she talked?” Heero asked.

“Not yet.”

“It just doesn’t make sense,” Quatre scowled, tapping the chair’s arm. “A high ranking officer sitting at a bar unarmed with gundams reported not several miles away. Surely they _knew_ she’d be a target, so why was this so easy? Unless that was the plan all along. An obvious distraction, but from what?”

“I suppose we’ll find out soon enough,” Rashid grunted. Quatre’s blue eyes followed the man as he went to the kitchen and turned on the faucet to wash his hands. The water ran red. The blonde wondered for a moment what they’d done to her but decided it best not to ask. He wanted nothing more than to be free of the whole messy, and now bloody-- ordeal. The older man seemed to sense his charge’s discomfort. “It isn’t for you to worry about, Master Quatre. You’ve all done your parts, and the adults will take it from here. You should get some rest- all of you. You’re going to need it.”

\--

Duo had tried sleeping for hours, but the adrenaline kick just wouldn’t come down and so he was left to lay on the cot and stare at the ceiling reliving his night with the OZ officer he hadn’t even thought to ask the name of. There was just something about her that was different from the others- a curiosity that others didn’t possess. Bravery in the face of her situation. Some part of him wanted nothing more than to continue their conversation from the bar before things got all out of hand. She was almost.. _fun_.

He’d only just started to drift off when the clicking of his door drove him back into wakefulness. The figure in the doorway was a mere silhouette but Duo already knew who it was.

“Spare me the lecture, Heero.”

“Howard’s here.” Duo screwed up his face, quietly grateful that the room was dark enough to hide his embarrassment. _Foot, meet mouth._ The braided boy sat up in bed, swinging his legs over onto the floor and leaning down to put his shoes back on. If he wasn’t going to get any sleep, he may as well keep busy and welcome their new guest. No doubt he’d be at the abandoned hangar a few miles away where he’d stowed his Gundam- it was a perfect excuse to get some fresh air. As he slipped into his jacket, he took note that Heero hadn’t moved from the doorway.

“Is there something else?” The braided boy asked, hoping to spur on some kind of conversation, some understanding for why the silent onlooker hadn’t left yet.

“We’re moving to a new location.”

“Everyone?” Duo dug underneath the bed for his rucksack- time to pack up again. This was the fourth time this month, but it wasn’t anything unusual. He’d been hopping from place to place for nearly a year, to wherever the mission dictated. 

“Just us.” The response gave him a moment’s pause, but he quickly returned to shoving his extra pair of clothes into the bag, pulling it shut and swinging it over his shoulder. It wasn’t uncommon for the pilots to end up in the same place by coincidence- they were all there, after all, sans WuFei, each with their own separate goals to achieve. Duo was only there on L2 for repairs- he just happened to get recruited for this side-mission after he’d run into Quatre on the street while staking out places to lay low. He didn’t know what Trowa or Heero were here for, but it wasn’t his business and he didn’t plan on getting nosy.

“Must be serious, then.” He surmised aloud, sliding past Heero in the door frame on his way towards the exit. He made it less than a foot past the boy before he was grabbed by the forearm and spun back around roughly. “What the--!” He began to shout, and was cut short by an expression that meant business.

He could yell. He could fight back. He could spit off some sort of smart-ass remark, but none of those things would penetrate a look that demanded silence. It was the first time in a while that Duo had truly _looked_ at him. When Heero moved his head forward, Duo instinctively reeled back, and before he had a moment to open his mouth to start interrogating for answers, a plastic card was shoved in his face. Duo snatched the card, and was then quickly released, taking several confused steps backwards and rubbing at his arm.

“Could’ve been a little more gentle, you know.” Duo complained from a safe distance, still walking backwards. “Not all of us are as indestructible as you.” He was unsure of himself, and unsure of turning his back on the silent figure. When he hit the front door, his hand groped about for the handle, and he quickly slipped out of the apartment and onto the street. 

_\--_

"So the little rat finally shows himself!" Howard shouted from afar as Duo entered the hangar. The teen spotted his mechanical friend at the foot of Deathscythe and shot him the finger. A few moments later he was close enough to shake the man's hand and get a solid pat on the back. Duo smiled and looked up, admiring his Gundam. Deathscythe's right arm was stripped to the wires and skeleton.

"So, what's the skinny on him?" Duo inquired.

"The only skinny thing here is you," He poked the boy in the side with a smirk, "But we've got our work cut out for us here."

"Supposedly they got the part, if all else fails."

"Failing is the last thing I do, Shorty. Meanwhile, I've got a team over here working on cockpit reaction time.You’re getting too fast for it, kid! It's asking a lot to get a hunk of metal this size to turn on a dime, but we'll get it as damn close to fifteen cents as we can." Duo smiled- the first one he’d managed since arriving. The moment was interrupted by flashing lights on the inside Deathscythe’s cockpit- orders were coming in. Agile as a cat, Duo scaled the gundam’s leg, took a short leap towards the scaffolding nearby, and continued the climb until he was comfortably plopped down into the machine’s cockpit, eyes scanning his new instructions.

“So that’s what they wanted us for,” Duo mumbled as he sent out confirmation that the message was received. OZ was building a new military base in the L2 colony cluster, and the powers that be were requesting a welcome mat made of Gundanium. Duo was happy to oblige that request- even more so when he learned of where it was located.

“Hey Howard!” Duo shouted from above. The older man looked upwards- the only thing he could see was the boy’s head. “What’s the chance you finish this up before the weekend’s out?”

“That’s an awful big favor you’re asking for!” He replied, hands on his hips. His stern expression wasn’t visible from that height. Duo came out of the cockpit after that, sitting on the edge of the platform door and letting his legs dangle precariously before hopping down onto another nearby scaffolding, and eventually back to the ground floor.

“Destiny waits for no-one, my friend. I’ve got an appointment to make.”

“Destiny, huh.” The expression was skeptical, but it was hard to say ‘no’ to such a desperate face. Genius as he was, these things still took time! Time that neither he nor Duo had much of to spare.

Duo had come a long way in the few short years they’d known one another, in both height and personality. He’d grown from an angry, bitter child to a determined young man with a personality to match it. It would be safe for Howard to even call the boy family, though he hesitated to do so- there was no guarantee that he’d walk out of this operation alive, after all. There was no guarantee that _any_ of them would survive the war.

“Ever been to Block 8?” Duo asked casually some time later. By now he was perched on Deathscythe’s outstretched hand with a laptop and surrounded by wires- some that reached clear down to the ground, and others that snaked across the scaffolding that Howard stood upon, hooked into his workstation.

“Yeah, sure. Nice residential district. Or used to be, it’s been a long time. Wasn’t there a church over there, too? Real nice one. What was it called.. Maxwe-- Ah.” He paused, casting a glance over to the boy who gave him a slow nod and knowing smile in return.

“Planning a visit?”

“You _could_ say that. Word has it that OZ has planted a military base right over the top of the ruins.” He paused at that, and seemed for a moment as if he were unsure of how to continue the conversation, that he had more to add and couldn’t find the words for it. 

“Probably about time for you to be going, don’t you think? It’s been a long night.”

Indeed, the artificial daylight was starting to break over the colony. Duo hadn’t slept at all, and exhaustion was finally beginning to take its toll. The gundam pilot gave a half-hearted shrug and shimmied back down to the ground, picking up his rucksack by Deathscythe's foot and slinging it over his shoulder before saying his goodbyes and making his way towards the exit. 

He pulled the card given to him by Heero out of his pocket and gave it a look as he crossed the hangar bay’s door. He already knew where the place was. But Heero... He stopped walking, his tired mind consumed with the strange events that had led him here to the hangar. That intense stare. He’d seen many sides of Heero Yuy in their time together, but that expression was one he couldn’t place, and it intimidated him. What had been trying to convey? Was it anything at all, or had he simply been overthinking in all of his stress?

Suddenly, the idea of spending time alone with the perfect soldier didn’t seem so appealing. Hesitantly, Duo turned back around and headed back into the hangar, flagging down Howard who had fully expected the boy to be gone already.

“Actually… would you mind if I stayed here today?” 

“The place was your find, you can stay wherever you want-- is there a problem?” There was something different about the pilot that just walked back in. An emotion that the old man couldn’t place. One that didn’t suit Duo Maxwell at all. What could’ve changed in such a short period of time?

“No, it’s just…” Duo struggled to find words, and Howard made it easy for him.

“There’s a couple rooms in the back. Get some rest, kid. I don’t want to see you out here again until you’ve had some sleep, you hear me?” The only response he got was a lazy two-fingered salute before the boy disappeared around a corner, braid trailing behind. 

When the mechanic team took their break for lunch, a quick search of rooms revealed the braided boy sprawled out on an old sofa, sleeping soundly.

***


	3. Wolves' Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose Petrov is interrogated. Duo re-opens old wounds.

It was the dead of night. He’d only just arrived with the mobile suit he’d promised to steal only to be greeted with the wreckage of what was once a church engulfed in flames. Any attempts at escape had long since been thwarted, and any bodies not burning inside the building were lying in motionless heaps only feet away from the exit, staining the concrete red. He sat in silence inside the cockpit of that stolen suit, unable to take in the vastness of the situation, the overwhelming sight of people he’d grown to love laid out in front of him. He’d seen death before, but never to this scale. If ever there had been a shred of innocence within the child that was Duo Maxwell, it was lost that night.

He hadn’t left the scene immediately, instead choosing to remain out of sight, eyes locked onto the church’s front door as if expecting Father Maxwell and the others to walk out unharmed at any time to tell him the whole thing had been one big joke. _Except he can’t walk away when he’s lying right there on the steps, staring into the void. Did he see God in his final moments?_

Beside the carnage, a small caravan of military vehicles had circled around. Soldiers stood there with weapons in hand, prepared to take out anyone else that attempted to escape. There was nothing to worry about, they said. Nobody else could have survived that blast. _Nobody could have survived._ And so it was that a group of soldiers sat around a small campfire having coffee and celebrating their victory over the rebels while a single survivor sat hidden only feet away fighting off a wave of emotions too large for his tiny body to handle. 

A single slip of a foot against the gravel sent a rock skipping away. The soldiers just beyond him went silent, brandishing their weapons. Duo held his breath, waiting for the dust to settle. When he was certain it did, he chanced a glance around the corner and met eyes with a soldier pointing a rifle in his direction.

_BAM._

“Woah, it’s just me, kid!” Howard threw his hands up as Duo sat up suddenly with a gasp, ripping his gun from its spot on the floor and pointing it directly at the perceived threat. As the haze of sleep and dreams faded, and the target came into focus.. Clarity, then recognition. Duo relaxed back against the couch with a heaving sigh and a weak apology.

“Wouldn’t be the first time someone’s pointed a gun at me. Just checking up on you- guess you’re awake.”

“What time is it?”

“Evening. You just missed lunch break- how about you put something together and meet me out in the hangar so we can make a few more adjustments?” Right. He’d fallen asleep in the bay instead of the apartment he was expected at. Duo nodded in agreement with the idea. Despite the braided boy’s return to reality, there was still a cloudiness to his gaze that caused the engineer enough discomfort to speak. 

“You gonna be alright, kid?” He asked. Duo blinked twice in double-take. The look was gone.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He replied cheerfully, took a moment to stretch out, and then he was on his feet and out the door before the older man had the chance to pester him about it any further. As Howard passed by the break room, there was Duo throwing a ramen cup in the microwave and having an animated chat with some of the help Howard had brought with him. He passed by without making his presence known. There was work to be done, and he was on a schedule.

_\--_

She’d lost all track of time since her abduction from the club. It could’ve been hours, or even days that she sat there tied up on that chair blindly taking abuse from unknown assailants. It didn’t matter- She’d gone through training for this exact scenario, and as far as she was concerned, was passing the test with flying colors. The interrogators still hadn’t gotten anything out of her after multiple attempts. 

She was hungry, and cold- no doubt this was a basement somewhere based upon the draft coming from a nearby window or perhaps a crack in the wall. The room was heavy with the stench of dried blood, sweat, and piss, but she’d gotten used to it. 

Slowly, she rotated her neck and shoulders, sore from sitting for so long with her hands cuffed behind her back. They dug into the skin, pinching when she moved too much. A sound from above alerted her to the return of her captors- a door. She’d heard that door open and close precisely 15 times since the start of this whole ordeal. They didn’t always come downstairs when they returned. A second door opening, presumably the basement door, confirmed that they were here for her this time.

“Alright, now where did we leave off,” Came a familiar male voice, gruff and gravelly. She didn’t answer him. “Right. Your involvement in OZ’s L2 operation. Care to enlighten us this time around?” The woman raised her head and sat up, back straightened.

“My name is Rose Petrov. My rank is--” She didn’t get the opportunity to finish before a hand came across her face. “Yeah yeah, we’ve heard it already,” came another voice, further away.

“And I still don’t know what it is that you’re talking about,” She replied, spitting blood onto the ground. The man further away laughed.

“Right! An OZ soldier planted at a club to get the attention of the enemy has nooo idea what they’re up to.”

“I’ve already told you, I wasn’t _planted,_ I’m on _leave._ ”

“A likely story!”

“And if it’s the truth?” A third voice came from what sounded like the top of the stairs. Someone much younger. Judging by the startled reactions of the other two men, they hadn’t been expected. Two pairs of feet made their way down the stairs. All hushed attempts at dissuading the new visitor from staying appeared to fail. “I’ve left it up to the adults for three days, Reshad. We don’t have any longer to wait.”

Suddenly, Rose’s blindfold was removed and the room was bathed in a blinding light. She squinted hard, hissing as the room came into focus. From her left side, another boy brushed past her. Tall, skinny, brown hair, but definitely a kid. From the other side of the room, an equally young-looking blonde boy took hold of a metal folding chair and plopped it down in front of her, sitting in it backwards. 

“So let’s assume for now that you _are_ telling the truth, and go from there.”

“The Winner heir is a Gundam pilot now too, huh.”

“It takes all kinds,” He responded, arms up on the chair’s back and chin planted atop the back of his hands. His soft demeanor quickly hardened, however, deep green eyes staring down into her own with an intensity she’d never seen in someone his age before. “But this is about you, not me. So you’re on leave and end up at a bar that I was then tipped off about under the assumption that you’d be used as a decoy to lure us in with. But nobody’s coming for you- nobody’s even _looking_ for you, and I want to know why. That’s all.”

The new information took her for surprise. Surely he was lying. Her abduction had to have been all over the news by now! “Prove it,” She demanded, and he obliged her. A radio on the far end of the room was turned on by the other boy while the two older men in the room looked on, clearly uncomfortable with their ward taking charge of the situation.

The room sat in silence as the local colony news station went over the usual day to day goings-on. Indeed, just as Quatre said, there was no mention of her. Investigations ongoing into the shooting at the nightclub she was at- no mention of an abducted woman. Her bloodied face turned pale- she truly _was_ alone in this, putting up a front for no good reason. Too many questions rushed through her mind all at once. Perhaps they were just keeping it quiet- perhaps she was too high-profile for a public announcement! As if the blonde could read her thoughts, he shook his head. “Already listened in on every private line I could get into- not a peep.” 

“They’re obviously expecting us to kill you,” Quatre began, sitting up straight. “So who dislikes you enough to throw you to the wolves, Miss Petrov?”

\---

“Alright, I think it’s about time you get out of here, Duo. You’re _dangerously_ close to overstaying your welcome,” Howard said. After they’d made all the necessary adjustments to Deathscythe with the help of its pilot, Duo had kept himself busy by comondeering one of his crews’ laptops which he studied intently for the next several hours from the relative comfort of the gundam’s cockpit.

“Ah, and I was just onto a lead, too,” The boy mumbled, snapping the machine shut gently and passing it to the hand reaching out for it. He leaned over to leave the seat and hissed from a crick in his neck that had previously gone unnoticed. Perhaps that cockpit seat wasn’t nearly as comfortable as he’d hoped it would be.

“How about you lead yourself back home. No doubt that boy Yuy’s got the kind of equipment you’ll need to finish up with set up by now. He was the one you’re working with this time, wasn’t it?” The reminder was not what he wanted or needed, and the disappointment in his ‘yeah’ response both baffled and amused Howard. Perhaps the relationship between them wasn’t as good as with the others. Perhaps that’s why he was very obviously avoiding his responsibilities in the most innocent way possible. “It’ll be over before you know it.”

“Not soon enough.”

“Would you get out of here before I start feeling guilty for sending you away?” The tone of Howard’s voice elicited a genuine chuckle out of the boy who appeared to have taken the hint and started descending the gundam, jumping to the ground from as high as he thought he could manage. The engineer looked after Duo as he picked up his things and adjusted his ball cap low over his eyes- the threat of being recognized was still significant for him, even after dark. It was easy to forget that every one of these kids was infamous in their own way, and each had a very hefty bounty on their heads if caught and turned in. The incident earlier in the day came back to mind, and he frowned. Perhaps this was a better time than never.

“Wait up a minute, kid.” The voice behind Duo caused him to pause and turn on his heel. 

“Miss me already?” He quipped, looking entirely too cheeky for the engineer’s liking. Any other time Howard would’ve had a laugh, but this time he wasn’t and it caused the grin to slowly disappear from Duo’s face to be replaced by something not entirely sure of itself. He was taken by the shoulder and turned around, a clear message that this conversation was meant only for the two of them. Duo took the hint and kept walking until the both of them were out of range of any prying ears in the hangar. 

As Duo looked up at him expectantly, he had trouble finding the words that he wanted to say. How could he put this in a way that wouldn’t sound like parenting? In a way that wouldn’t be taken the wrong way? Duo seemed to sense this unease. “If you got something to say, just say it.”

“Look,” Howard sighed, defeated. “I know what you’re doing is hard. You’ve probably seen more shit than most of us ever will, and it’s a long way from over. All I’m trying to say, is that if you ever want to just.. Talk. I’m here for you. We all are. Alright?” The sudden dive into personal territory caught the braided boy off-guard, and now he was the one left at a loss for words. Before he was allowed to continue the conversation however, Howard reached out to tug his hat even further over his eyes, spun him around by the shoulders, and shoved him gently off towards his destination. “Now get outta here. And be careful.”

“Yeah.. I will?” He turned around to give a proper goodbye wave, but Howard had already turned back toward the hangar, and Duo was left walking backward and wondering what in the hell just happened. Nobody had ever spoken to him in that way before, and he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to take it. It dominated his thoughts all the way home.

_I’ve seen what happens to stronger men who hold onto the things they’ve done, Duo- it eats them alive. Too many of our friends are dead now- they won the war, but lost the battle in their own heads. I just hope that you’ll ask for help before it consumes you, too._

\---

Heero was at the hotel when Duo arrived, and as per usual he wasn’t in a talking mood. In fact, he’d hardly lifted his eyes from his computer screen at the braided boy’s arrival, or offered anything more than a nod of acknowledgement. On any other day Duo might’ve thought to make some sort of smartass remark about it, but all he wanted at this moment was to get out of what he’d been wearing for the past two days and into a shower. Duo tossed his things onto the unused bed and then strode over to meet them, opening up the bag and rummaging around for his extra set of clothes and the few cleaning products he’d managed to swipe from other hotels and stores he passed by during missions.

“Deathscythe’ll be done by tomorrow morning for sure. We can go then if you’re not otherwise occupied.” It was the only thing Duo said as he pulled his shirt over his head and then reached behind himself to pull the hair tie that kept his braid together.

“Fine.” 

“Oh five hundred sound good to you?” He paced behind the the perfect soldier on his way to the bathroom, flipping on the light and closing the door.

“Mm.”

 _The earlier the better. Nobody will expect an attack on a Sunday morning. We can get in and out before they catch on to the irony,_ Duo thought to himself as he stepped under the hot water with a deep sigh and let all of the last few days’ worth of events run off of him into the drain. Moments of peace didn’t come often, and so this one was worth indulging in for a little longer than he’d normally spend doing something as mundane as showering.

“How do you plan on getting out there, anyway? Not taking Wing, are you?” Duo raised his voice over the sound of the shower, scrubbing at the motor oil in his hair.

“Too obvious,” Came the reply. So maybe he _was_ in the chatting mood after all.

“So then what? Gonna hitch a ride with me?”  
  
“Could do that.” Duo nearly choked on shower water as he brushed his teeth. What in the hell was going on? Was he in some alternate universe?

“I mean, if you insist.. It’s not gonna be a comfortable ride, though.” He’d hopped out of the shower by that time, thrown some shorts on and came out of the bathroom scrubbing at his hair. Heero had fallen silent, but was no longer at his desk. One quick look around the corner revealed that he’d laid down in his bed. For all intents and purposes, it looked as though he was already sleeping. _That’s one way to end a conversation..._

After brushing and re-braiding his hair, Duo plucked a laptop left for him off the side-table and popped it open, returning to his previous research. He spent the night pulling up all the information he could about this new base he was visiting- who was in charge. What sorts of defense protocols he might come up against the moment that Deathscythe’s cloaking device was disabled. How much damage he could do with just his beam scythe and a lot of determination. Which buildings were best for Heero to set explosives on- no doubt Heero had already done his own homework on that front.

An incoming call in the corner of the screen distracted him for a moment, and he answered it with a bright smile made devious by Quatre’s expression at the sight of a topless Duo.

“Put a shirt on, would you?” He covered his eyes.

“But I’m comfortable!” He replied softly, trying his best not to disturb the sleeping boy only a few feet away. He eventually rolled his eyes and threw on an undershirt. “Happy now?”

“Very, thank you.” The relief was palpable. “Anyway. Whoever this officer was that he captured, she wasn’t anyone important- she wasn’t even part of the plan.”

“What, really? How do you know?”

“Her story checks out. Came to L2 on leave, was there by coincidence. Or.. perhaps not as much of a coincidence as she thinks. She was set up, Duo. You were supposed to kill her.”

“Since when is OZ in the business of offing their own men? Who’d she piss off?”

“I’m hoping to find that out sooner rather than later. Either way, take extra caution with your next mission- surveillance isn’t showing anything out of the ordinary, but they may already know you and Heero are coming.” Duo hummed thoughtfully, eyebrows furrowed.

“Heero was going to hitch a ride with me, but maybe he’d be better off taking Wing after all. Would need to find a way to get it out of hiding without anyone noticing, though…”

“Well, if you two need any help, Trowa and I are ready to move at any time. Take care of yourself, Duo.” And then he was gone. 

Duo had gotten so caught up in this new information and the research he was working on that he’d forgotten to sleep, and when Heero finally stirred awake, his first sight was on the braided boy still staring intently at the screen. Duo quietly scrolled through a list of base employees while Heero rubbed the sleep from his eyes, looked over at the clock, and disappeared into the shower himself. By the time the shower was over, Duo had found the picture roster and was sending all of his collected information to Deathscythe’s memory bank. 

Among them, was a _very_ familiar face that Duo was certain he’d never see again.

No. He’d _make sure_ he never saw it again.

***


	4. Sucker Punch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose turns the tables. Mission plans go awry.

For all intents and purposes, things were looking pretty good for Rose Petrov. After a heated negotiation between the Winner heir and his apparent bodyguards-- or at least, that’s what she was assuming they were-- she’d been freed from her prison chair, and was now allowed to roam about in the basement unmolested, but still handcuffed.

There wasn’t much to see down there, and the tiny window on the far wall didn’t provide any view worth taking in. There wasn’t much to do either, and so she’d occupied herself with endless pacing and pondering. The radio had been left downstairs for her to listen to, and she did. But just as the blonde boy had told her a day past, there was no mention of a disappearance and no indication that she was anything more than mince meat to the organization she’d dedicated near most of her life to. She knew why, but had no intention of telling the kid-- not at first. But the longer she spent in that room, the longer she had to ponder.. The idea suddenly didn’t seem all too far-fetched.

It was, she assumed, somewhat late in the afternoon when Quatre arrived again with that other boy she had no name for on his tail. He hadn’t said a word in all this time- she wondered for a while if he could speak at all, and if he was also one of the famed Gundam pilots. There were five, after all, and all that anyone saw had been described as children.

That same silent boy took a set of keys out of his pocket and moved towards her. She thought to move away, but curiosity kept her glued to the spot. With an unusual gentleness, he took her wrist and unlocked the handcuffs, slipping them away and handing them off to Quatre. 

“You’re free to go, Miss Petrov,” He said, and she blinked twice. When she didn’t move, he continued. “I would’ve tried to release you sooner, but my associates insisted upon verifying that your story was true. Whatever happened to lead you to this point, I’ve no interest in it ending in your death.”

“Well that’s awfully generous of you.” She replied. “Considering what you are.”

Quatre shrugged with a half-hearted smile. “Like I’ve said before: it takes all kinds. Though I doubt any of us are as cold-hearted as OZ would lead you to believe.”

“OZ has lead me to believe a lot of things, kid,” She replied in a tone that surprised the blonde boy. She rubbed at her wrists, and didn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave. “That the world needs order, and that those loyal to the cause should be rewarded. I’ve been a part of this world since I was old enough to join. To say that my dream’s been turning into a real disappointment these last couple days would be a pretty severe understatement.”

“You wouldn’t be the first to see underneath the veil.”

“You’re really just going to let me leave? Just _walk out the front door_? What if I go back and report this to my superiors? Tell them everything I’ve seen? Tell them where you are?” Her bafflement provided amusement to Quatre, though most of it wouldn’t be outwardly visible. Instead he remained still and steady, calm and collected.

“I doubt you’d be telling them anything they didn’t already know. We’ve evaded you and yours for quite a while already- walked through the streets, gone to schools, and lived a completely normal life right under your noses. Hiding is nothing new to us. That and.. I don’t think you will.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Only if you make it one.” He crossed his arms with such confidence that it enraged her. How dare this little brat talk down to her like that! _Unless you’ve already forgotten that it was one of those little brats that got you into this mess in the first place, and a little brat who’s now had the good graces to spare your life,_ she thought to herself, eyebrows furrowed. She wanted nothing more than to get out of this ugly, dingy, smelly basement, and as far away from these kids as possible, but another part of her couldn’t shake her own curiosity and want for answers.

Instead of leaving, she moved to the side of the basement, picking up a chair and dropping it down in front of the blonde boy and sitting upon it backwards, just as he did to her earlier.

“Alright then. Since you’re so confident that I won’t be opening my mouth, and this may be the last time that we meet face-to-face again, I have some questions.” She raised an eyebrow as the two boys exchanged glances at their former captive’s unusual behavior. “Well?”

It was Quatre who moved first to find his own chair and sit upon it daintily with all the poise of a gentleman twice his age. The other boy apparently preferred to stand, though a very subtle change of expression seemed to suggest that he didn’t entirely agree with this.

“Alright, Miss Petrov. What would you like to know?”

\---

So distracted was Duo with all of the work he’d set upon himself, he’d forgotten to sleep. When Heero disappeared into the bathroom, Duo chanced a look down at the clock- 0400. Only an hour before launch, and there was still so much left to do!

“Gonna be a shame for them to lose this base, it was only built two years ago,” Duo raised his voice so that Heero could hear him, and only by straining his ears did he hear what sounded like a single chuckle in reply. Or a ‘hmph’- it was difficult to tell. He would’ve continued the conversation, but from the sound of another door, it would appear as though Heero had left and so the braided boy continued where he left off with the transfer of floor plans, flight schedules, shift rounds, tower locations, and anything else that seemed pertinent. He hadn’t heard Heero re-enter the room until the boy was beside him, offering him a cup. 

Duo accepted the cup with a look that was lost somewhere between confused and grateful and a ‘thank you’ before blowing across the surface and taking a sip of the hotel’s poor excuse for coffee. He’d had far better joe than this, but the caffeine rush was both needed, and appreciated. 

Rather than go back to his own desk, Heero chose to continue standing there over Duo’s shoulder, eyes scanning the braided boy’s laptop between casual sips of his own drink. In an effort to break the awkward silence, Duo went over what he’d found, and the two of them discussed their ideas for the most efficient way to cause the most damage as quickly as possible. They’d be at a distinct disadvantage with Deathscythe being so reliant on melee combat- without the assistance of Wing, they’d have to take out the mobile suit hangar first if they stood any chance of an easy success. From there it was just a matter of slicing and dicing everything and everyone in sight while Heero set explosives. Base goes bang, Gundam disappears as quickly as it appeared, and the boys get out unharmed. Simple.

When the two arrived at the hangar that Deathscythe was located, the gundam was already free of all bindings, wires and contraptions. A quick thanks was offered to Howard by Duo before the boy jumped into the cockpit and strapped himself in. Heero, meanwhile, settled into a cavity created by the gundam’s unextended wings. Just to be certain that the plan was sound, the gundam’s cloaking device was activated- sure enough, Heero disappeared right along with the rest of the Gundam. Then, they were off.

Getting to the base was a simple enough matter. It wasn’t hidden away in some remote corner of the colony. In fact, the old neighborhood that remained after the old church was flattened and paved was still there, within walking distance. Not an ideal situation, as far as Duo was concerned. Any uncontrolled explosions could harm far more than just a few mobile suits and buildings. Duo considered that perhaps it was a small blessing that Heero had also been put on this mission. ‘Just the right amount’ was his specialty, after all.

Gently, silently, the Deathscythe touched down just inside the base’s fence line and Heero let himself off, form quickly disappearing into the early morning gloom as he dashed toward the first group of buildings. He slit to a halt in the shadow of the barracks, back hitting the wall and then quickly stooping to affix the explosives to the wall before moving on and repeating the process, skillfully dodging any roaming watchmen on his path. After the third building of five, the sounds of shouting and the shaking ground almost brought a smile to his face- Deathscythe had made itself known, and was on the rampage. The perfect distraction to allow Heero to continue his planting without any resistance. All according to plan.

There was very little Duo enjoyed more than creating a sea of carnage all around him, and this mobile suit hangar was ripe for destruction. The adjustments he’d made to his Gundam’s scythe were paying their dividends now, slicing through the simple metal frames of the various mobile suit models like a hot knife through butter. Some pilots tried to save their units from Duo’s black menace- some even put up a reasonable fight- but none had the distance necessary to best their opponent. 

All the while, Deathscythe’s programming was scanning every face that crossed its cameras and comparing it to the list of employees Duo had sent it earlier. So far, no dice. Once the mobile suit hangar was cleared of its suits, the braided boy picked his next target- a watchtower on the west end of the base. The stomping Gundam would be well and clear of Heero over there, free to wreck as many cars, trucks and planes as Duo’s heart desired. Halfway to his new destination, the ground rocked, and explosions erupted from the East. Heero’s work was done.

Profuse beeping brought Duo’s attention back to his monitors: Deathscythe’s cameras had spotted its target and zoomed in closer. Duo’s heart dropped into the pit of his stomach as the man’s face appeared in high definition. 

\---

“So let me get this straight,” Rose frowned at the blonde boy sitting across from her. “The five of you are fighting for the independence of colonies that have willfully given up their rights to OZ only a few months ago. You’re fighting for a cause that isn’t interested in you.”

“They’re being led on- you know that as well as anybody else.”

“And smashing up OZ bases on the colonies is going to.. What. Get them to see the light?” Rose’s sarcasm caused Quatre to shake his head with a soft, but exasperated, sigh.

“No, but it _will_ prevent further expansion, which will make it easier for the colonies to regain their independence when they _do_ finally come around to the truth.”

“Pretty lofty goals there, kid. Assuming they’re yours. It only makes sense that someone else would be behind the scenes, pulling the strings. I just wonder how they convinced a bunch of teenagers to throw their lives away. Don’t any of you have homes to go back to? Families worrying about you?”

“I’m the only one with any family that I know of,” Quatre replied somberly. The skinny boy behind him, now known to be Trowa, still had nothing to say. “Everyone has their reasons, Ms. Petrov. None of us are here against our will. The simple fact of the matter is that actions speak louder than words. The colonies _need_ someone to fight for them- even if they don’t think so right now.”

“And you believe that, too?” She aimed the question at Trowa. 

“I believe that kindness and understanding are in short supply in space.” Rose blinked twice at the response. She hadn’t expected him to answer at all, let alone eloquently. It made sense to her now why Quatre chose to bring this one with him.

“Regardless of what you chose to do when you leave here, Ms. Petrov, our mission will continue until we’re no longer needed, or we all die. That is the agreement we’ve all entered into.” Quatre’s green eyes followed Rose as she finally stood up from her chair. 

As she looked down upon her captors, she was unsure of how she should feel about them. On the one hand, they were five highly skilled and impressively coordinated terrorists who had all but made the lives of every OZ soldier a living hell for the past year. On the other hand, they were just _kids_ , every one of them fighting a war that started long before any of them were born. She was angry.. And exhausted.

“Where will you go now?” Quatre asked, curiously.

“Back to my hotel, I suppose,” Rose responded. “Get a shower, something to eat, get some sleep… Go shopping later on. Finish my vacation. If your prediction has any merit, then I’m a retired officer now.” She began to wander up the stairs, muttering to herself. “I imagine they’ll send someone to do the job you kids failed at. May as well look good for my last day alive.”

“I hope for your sake that I’m not right. You seem like a good person, Ms. Petrov.”

“So do you, Mr. Winner. Until next time?” She asked sarcastically, and then she was gone.

“Was this worth it?” Trowa asked softly. Quatre sighed.

“I hope so.”

\---

Duo had forgotten how to breathe, how to speak, how to move. His hands gripped the controls with white knuckles. From the moment he saw that man’s picture, he’d vowed to have his revenge, but now that the real thing was in front of him, staring out a watchtower window at an oncoming Gundam, the braided boy was frozen with a fear he hadn’t experienced since he was small. He was a child again, staring down the barrel of that man’s gun, barely escaping with his life. He squeezed his eyes shut, taking in a suffocated breath. He hadn’t even realized until that moment that he was shaking like a leaf.

“We’ve done enough. Get out of there.” Heero’s voice came clearly through the communication line, distracting the pilot from the moment that held him prisoner. He was back in the present, staring at that face on the monitor. Deathscythe took several steps forward, walking towards the watchtower. 

Heero had turned to leave, expecting the Deathscythe to turn and follow him… until it didn’t. It was going in exactly the opposite direction. That wasn’t part of the plan! The boy soldier rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. No response had come from the cockpit, so Heero was left to assume he hadn’t been heard, and called again. “Duo. We need to leave. Now.”

Heero gritted his teeth as the gundam continued on its path away from him. He could just leave on his own- hop the fence and run for it. The base was in so much chaos that he had no doubts that anyone would stand in his way. He could take refuge in a crumbling building and wait it out with whatever weaponry he could find on hand. He could continue calling to an unresponsive gundam...No, that would be a waste of time.

The Deathscythe stood within melee range of the tower. Rather than cut through it, however, much to Heero’s surprise, the gundam flipped the scythe and used its end as a battering ram, smashing down the windows and surrounding wall at the top of the watchtower. The next thing that happened caused the boy to break out into a sprint towards the Gundam- its pilot exited the cockpit, scaled the arm, and ran across the scythe into the building.

The room was dark when Duo leapt into it through the smashed window, but the person he was after was in clear view, frozen in disbelief that he’d not only just survived a gundam attack, but that the pilot, looking just as intimidating (if not a bit smaller) than his machine, was staring him down with death in his eyes. It didn’t make sense! Why not just tear the whole building apart with him in it? Why go to all this trouble?

“Wh-who are you?” He managed to stammer, squinting into the darkness with fists up, ready to fight, or flee, or both. He didn’t get his answer before the attacker lunged at him, fists flying. Now that he was closer, it became evident that this was a kid he was fighting- a kid?! Piloting a gundam?! He blocked the first two punches and narrowly avoided a kick aimed directly at his head. _He’s fast.. But not fast enough._ The soldier took Duo by the ankle and shoved him back, watching as the boy stumbled and fell on his back, only to flip back onto his feet and come at him again. _Determined, too!_ The boy’s left punch was caught in the man’s hand. His right punch was also caught, and in that moment, close up, it dawned on him. The eyes. The braid. It was _that_ kid! That kid at the church he’d chased down!

He didn’t have long to think about it before _that_ kid used the man’s own weight to lift himself up and slam his forehead directly into the man’s nose. Dazed, he let go of Duo’s fists and stumbled backwards, only to be pushed the rest of the way. The kid was on top of him now, screaming, shouting, relentlessly pummeling him with as much power he could get behind his fists- a surprising amount for someone of his size and stature. 

The man used his free hand to pull his gun free of its holster, aimed as well as he could and took the shot. Blood spattered on his face and the braided boy shouted as the bullet ripped straight through his shoulder. The man took that opportunity to free himself of the boy, aiming a hard kick to the ribs for good measure as he scrambled back to his feet.

Duo could see nothing but red. Feel nothing but rage. The gunshot, however, brought him back to reality in a painful tailspin. The kick in the ribs took his breath away, and the crack when the man’s foot connected guaranteed that he’d broken one or two. Despite all this, much to the man’s shock and horror, the braided boy struggled to right himself, and with great effort was once again on his feet and ready to continue the brawl.

“Duo!” A voice behind the man distracted him. He turned his head to see yet another kid on his way into the room. As he was pondering how that boy managed to scale an entire gundam, his attacker made the next move, landing a sucker punch that sent the man reeling down to the ground with stars in his eyes. It only took two more blows before he saw nothing but black.

For a few moments Heero stood still, unsure of what to do. With his good arm, Duo punched the man several more times, then he was on his feet and stomping the man’s face while screaming obscenities. He was bleeding profusely through his shoulder- it seeped through his jacket, dripping down to the floor. There was blood everywhere. The floor, the walls, Duo’s boot, his face, his fists. 

“Duo. He’s dead...” The words had no effect on the braided boy whatsoever. If anything, they seemed only to further fuel his vengeful attack on the unmoving corpse. They didn’t have time for this. Heero reached out and took hold of both of Duo’s forearms, and the reaction he got had been a swift and desperate struggle to free himself from the stronger boy’s grip. He demanded to be let go, kicked, writhed, all to no avail.

“You’re hurt and we need to get out of here!” Heero hissed through gritted teeth, trying his damndest not to cause the boy in his grip any more damage, but it seemed for several long moments that he’d have to be dragged out of the building or knocked out. 

Then, just as quickly as he’d started the struggle, he began to relent. Duo’s muscles relaxed as the world around him came back into horrible focus. A room around him, destroyed. A man below him, face beaten beyond recognition. His breath came in ragged, pained gasps, and his head began to spin from the blood loss. The mindless rage subsided, leaving behind an indescribable emptiness. A void of nothingness- no. Of relief, and of overwhelming sadness that no amount of discipline could contain. 

Duo’s knees buckled. He collapsed into the arms of a startled Heero with an anguished wail and choking, heart-broken sobs as years of guilt and agony spilled out all at once. Heero considered it a blessing to them both when unconsciousness finally overtook the braided boy.

***


End file.
